Speed-controlling device for automatic machine-guns.



No. 636,975. Patented Nov. I4, I899.

' F. M. GARLAND.

SPEED CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MACHINE GUNS.

(Appiication filed Apr. 25", 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

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7 Q L F T E V i v Wzaww. N d'nuwzlr- 3 flmfizw No. 636,975. Patented Nov. I4, I899. F. M. GARLAND.

SPEED CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MACHINE GUNS.

(Applicatiun filed Apr. 25, 1899.) (N6 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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\ I I 'QN I A No. 636,975. Patented Nov. I4, i899.

F. M. GARLAND. SPEED CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR AUTGMATIC MACHINE GUNS.

(Application filed Apr. 25, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 (NwModeL) THE Nomus Perms cc. lmmo-umo.v WASHINGTON, 0. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

FRANK M. GARLAND, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

SPEED-CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MACHINE-GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,975, dated November 14, 1899.

Application filed April 25, 1899. Serial No. 714,389. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK M. GARLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speed-Controlling Devices for Automatic Machine-Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a mechanism constructed for controlling the speed of action of an automatic machine-gun which has a movable barrel.

The object of the invention is to provide a mechanism that is connected with a handle located in a most convenient position at the rear of the gun, which mechanism can be moved by simply turning the handle so as to determine the action of the fluid-controlling valve, and thus regulate the speed at which the barrel will be drawn forward and the rapidity at which the feeding, loading, and firing mechanism will operate.

The embodiment of the invention which is illustrated by the accompanying drawings has a handle attached to the shoulder-piece of a single-barrel automatic machine-gun, which handle, inside of the shell of the shoulder-piece, has a crank that is capable of 0s cillating a lever when the handle is turned, the lever being connected with a rod that extends into the casing of the gun and that bears a wedge-cam. In the case is a rod that is adapted to be thrust forward by an angular lever, the movement of which is determined by the position of the wedge-cam, and this rod extends forwardly into the controllingvalve chamber adjacent to the valve, so as to limit the movement of the valve toward the port, as more particularly hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Of the illustrations, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gun that embodies the invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, on larger scale, through the case of the gun, showing the relation of the controlling mechanism and the valve in the controlling-fluid chamber. Fig. 3 is a view, on still larger scale, of the shoulder-piece and the butt of the case, showing the connection between the handle and the controlling-rod. Fig. 4 is a view looking toward the shoulder-piece and showing the con trolling mechanism illustrated in Fig. 3, and Fig. -5 is a detail view of the cam-wedge rod.

The trunnions 1 of the gun are held in boxes at the top of the trunnion-yoke 2, that is rotatorily supported by a conical mount 3. The barrel 4 is movably supported by the case 5 and a frame 6, that projects forwardly from the case. Between the case and the trunnionyoke are the usual elevating and depressing and rotating means and clamping mechanisms 7.

Connected with the barrel is an arm 8, that has a piston-rod 9 projecting into a cylinder at the upper end of the case, Fig. 1. This rod is attached to a piston 10, that is movable back and forth in the cylinder 11, Fig. 2. At the rear end this cylinder is open to a chamber 12 and at the front end it is open to the chamber 13. Between these chambers is a port 14. In the chamber 13 is a loose valve 15, with a spring 16, that tends to force the valve toward the port between the chambers, Fig. 2. When the barrel recoils backwardly and the piston moves in the cylinder, fluid is forced by the piston from the chamber 12 on one side to the chamber 13 on the other side of the piston, the valve moving against its spring when the fluid is forced in this direction, so as to open the port to its full extent and permit a free flow therethrough. However, when the operating-spring 17, Fig. 1, pulls the barrel forward fluid must flow from the chamber 13 to the chamber 12 through the port 14. VVheu fluid flows in this direction, the valve tends to move toward the port and restrict the passage therethrough. As

the speed of action of the operating-spring is controlled by the size of the port, that speed may be determined by the distance to which this valve may be moved for restricting the size of the passage through the port.

The front end of a rod 18 is arranged to limit the backward movement of the valve. This rod extends from the interior of the fluidchambers through a properly-packed stuffingbox 19 to the butt of the case, it being suitably supported by lugs 20, that are secured to a portion of the case, Fig. 2. At the rear The lower end of this lever has a stud 24 extending from one side, Fig. 2, and this stud rests upon the wedge-face of the cam 25, Fig. 3, that is fastened to the end of a rod 26, Fig. 5. This wedge is arranged to be moved beneath the stud extending from the lever, and of course the higher the wedge beneath the stud the more the lever will be moved and the farther forward the end of the rod 18 will be thrust. The position of the end of the rod 18 determines the amount of movement of the valve toward the port, and consequently the area of the opening to the port. The valve is forced by the flow of fluid from the chamber 13 to the chamber 12 as the barrel moves forwardly under the impulse of the operatingspring. The engagement of the wedge and stud on one side of the lever forces and holds the rod forward, and when the wedge is withdrawn from under the stud the pressure of the valve against the end of the rod when the fluid flows from the chamber 13 to the chamber 12 forces the rod back until the stud again engages the wedge.

The rod 26 extends through the end of the gun-case inside of the shoulder-piece bracket 27 into the shell of the shoulder-piece28. In this shell the rod 26 is connected with the upper end of a lever 29. The forked end of this lever engages a stud 30, that extends between two disks 31, that are mounted upon the stem 0f the handle 32, Figs. 3 and 4.

cam 25 borne by this rod. The position of the angle-lever 22 depends upon the part of the cam that is beneath the stud 24c on the angle-lever. If a low part of the cam is beneath the stud,the outer end of the angle-lever will be back, so that the front end of the rod 18 will be drawn away from the valve, allowing the valve to nearly close the port under the flow of fluid from the chamber 13 to the chamber 12, and thus choke down the time of this flow. If a high part of the cam is beneath the stud, the upper end of the anglelever is thrown forward, so that the front end of the rod 18 will be forward,allowing the valve to close but a slight distance toward the barrel under the flow of fluid from the chamber 13 to the chamber 12. By simply turning this bandle during the operation of the gun the amount of restriction of the passage for the flow of fluid from one chamber to the other may be regulated. This of course will determine the flow of fluid and movement of the piston connected with the barrel, so that the forward movement of the barrel under the pull of the operatingspring and the rapidity of feeding,loading,and

firing,which depend upon the speed of forward movement of the barrel, may be positively controlled. IVith this mechanism the speed of action of the gun may be regulated very closely, so as to permit a rapid firing or a very slow firing of ammunition.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination with the moving barrel of an automatic machine-gun, a speed-controlling mechanism consisting of a cylinder located above and in the rear of the barrel, a piston in the cylinder and connected with the barrel, a passage around the cylinder from one end to the other, a port in said passage, a valve located in the passage, a spring for thrusting the valve toward the port, arod with its end arranged to restrict the movement of the valve toward the port; an angle-lever connected with the rod, a wedge engaging a part of the lever, a rod attached to the wedge, a lever engaging the wedge-rod, an eccentric stud engaging the wedge-rod lever, and a handle secured to the eccentric stud,substantially as specified.

2. In combination with the moving barrel of an automatic machine-gun, a speed-controlling mechanism consisting of a cylinder, a piston located in the cylinder, a passage around the cylinder from one end to the other, aport in said passage, a valve located in said passage and thrust toward the port by a spring, a rod with its end arranged to restrict the movement of the valve toward the port, a rotary handle supported by the shoulder-piece of the gun, and connecting mechanism extending through the shoulder-piece and its bracket, between the handle and the rod that restricts the movement of the valve toward the port, substantially as specified.

3. In combination with the moving barrel of an automatic machine-gun, a speed-controlling mechanism consisting of a cylinder, a pis ton located in the cylinder, a passage from one end of the cylinder to the other, a valve located in said passage, a rod with its end arranged to restrict the movement of the Valve in one direction, a lever adapted to move the rod in one direction, a rotary handle located at the rear of the gun, and connecting mechanism between the handle and the lever, substantially as specified.

4:. In combination with the moving barrel of an automatic machinegun, a speed-controlling mechanism consisting of a cylinder, a piston located in the cylinder, a passage from one end of the cylinder to the other, a valve located in said passage, a rod with its end arranged to restrict the movement of the valve in one direction, a lever adapted to move the rod in one direction, a wedge-cam located adjacent to the lever, a rotary handle'located at the rear of the gun, and connecting mechanism between the handle and the wedge-cam, substantially as specified.

5. In combination with the moving barrel of an automatic machine-gun, a speed-controlling mechanism consisting of a cylinder, a piston located in the cylinder, a passage from one end of the cylinder to the other, a valve located in said passage, a rod with its end arranged to restrict the movement of the valve in one direction, alever adapted to move the rod in one direction, a Wedge-cam located adjacent to the lever, a lever adapted to move the cam, a rotary handle located at the rear of the gun, and connecting mechanism between the handle and the rod, substantially as specified.

6. In combination with the moving barrel of an automatic machine-gun, a speed-controlling mechanism consisting of a cylinder, a piston located in the cylinder, a passage from one end of the cylinder to the other, a valve located in said passage, a rod with its end ar ranged to restrict the movement of the valve in one direction, a lever adapted to move the rod in one direction, a wedge-cam located adjacent to the lever, a lever adapted to move the cam-rod, a rotary handle supported at the rear of the gun, and a crank connected With the handle and adapted to move the lever, substantially as specified.

7. A speed-controlling mechanism for an automatic machine-gun consisting of a Valve arranged to move toward and from a port, a rod for restricting the movement of the valve in one direction, an angle-lever adapted to move the rod, a cam adapted to move the lever, a lever adapted to move the cam, a crank adapted to move the lever, and a rotary handle connected with the crank, substantially as specified.

FRANK M. GARLAND.

Vitnesses:

c H. H. WILLIAMS,

E. J. HYDE. 

